Dachao Island is actually just a huge reef of about 40 square meters.
This giant rock is usually submerged by seawater, and it does not emerge from the sea even during low tide.
Only on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, when the tide recedes, can the sky see the light of day again.
Moreover, each appearance of this island lasts only half an hour.
Because it can only be seen during low tide, the locals call it Daichi Island.
Dachao Island is usually hidden deep underwater, where many marine creatures thrive and the island is rich in marine resources.
When Chen Zhiyao went there last time, she caught seven or eight large lobsters and more than a dozen palm-sized super abalone.
Other common sea snails and crabs are also readily available.
However, it is not large and is often shrouded in a thin layer of mist, making it particularly difficult to find.
Moreover, it appears for a very short time each time, and many people in the village have only heard of its name but have never seen it.
Only experienced old fishermen like Grandpa Chen and Grandma Chen can find them.
Chen Zhiyao had only been there twice in her life, and each time it took a long time to find her at sea.
Knowing that the tidal island only appears for a short half hour, all four members of the family, except for Grandma Chen who has difficulty walking, went out to sea together.
Fishing nets and other fishing tools are prohibited during the closed season, but there are no restrictions on beachcombing and angling.
Fishing boats can go out to sea normally as long as they do not carry fishing gear such as nets and traps.
Dachao Island is quite far from the village; it takes about two and a half hours by boat. Including the search time, it will probably take about three hours.
In order not to miss this unique island, Chen Zhiyao and her friends went out at 3:30 a.m.
For the first half of the journey, Captain Chen Zhiyao was in charge of steering the boat. They arrived near Dachao Island just as dawn was breaking.
At this moment, you can clearly see a thin layer of mist all around, making it look like you are in a fairyland.
This situation is extremely unfavorable for the navigation of fishing boats and makes the search for Dacao Island much more difficult.
This is where the experienced Grandpa Chen comes in.
Although the old man had been here more than 20 times, it still took him more than ten minutes to find the exact location.
By this time, the seawater had receded most of its depth, and only about the size of a table was visible on Daichao Island.
The island was relatively flat, and within minutes of the fishing boats approaching, it was completely exposed.
Chen Zhiyao and the others looked at the island that had suddenly appeared before them with surprise and delight.
Because it has been underwater for a long time, a thick layer of mud and sand has slowly accumulated, and many corals and seaweed have grown on it.
The reef has many naturally formed holes, which are home to many crabs and various other marine creatures.
This place is completely different from the Dachao Island that Chen Zhiyao remembers; it feels like it has suddenly transformed from an ordinary rocky island into a coral island.
With limited time, everyone eagerly boarded the magical Daichao Island as soon as the fishing boat approached.
Chen Zhiyao took the lead and walked directly at the front.
As soon as she turned on her X-ray glasses for beachcombing, she noticed a hole the size of a basketball at her feet.
She peered inside curiously and saw two enormous green pincers.
Chen Zhiyao was extremely familiar with these large pliers. She quickly reached in with the pliers and pulled out a big, green thing.
"Haha, looks like I'm in good luck today. I just arrived and I've already run into a big blue crab."
As she spoke, she took out a tie from her small handbag and quickly tied up the large blue crab, which weighed about eight ounces.
Chen Weiqiang, who was not far away, also let out a burst of excited laughter.
Chen Zhiyao turned her head curiously and saw that he had found a three-pound bluefin bream in a small puddle.
Looking at the bluefin bream worth several hundred yuan in her father's hand, she suddenly felt that the large blue crab in her hand was a bit too big.
Time was of the essence. After carefully collecting the poor crab, she quickly began searching the vicinity.
Before long, she found a cluster of sea snails in a crevice about 20 centimeters wide and two meters long.
Fortunately, the crevice wasn't too deep, and Chen Zhiyao used the tongs in her hand to carefully remove everything inside.
Spider snail +2
Flower snail +8
Conch +3
Horseshoe snails +4
The once empty net bag was suddenly filled to almost half full.
Chen Zhiyao straightened up and noticed a flat puddle next to the crevice in the rock.
The puddle wasn't big; the water only reached her knees, and it was exceptionally clear and clean.
Even without X-ray glasses, you can see two mantis shrimp lying half-submerged in the crystal-clear seawater.
Half of the shrimp tail was exposed so boldly that it immediately attracted Chen Zhiyao's attention.
Judging from its tiny tail, this shrimp doesn't seem very big, but once it fully emerges from the sand, it's quite a sight.
These two prawns together weigh almost a pound, and they look about the same size as the small lobsters.
The nine-legged shrimp, scientifically known as Penaeus monodon, generally prefers to inhabit sandy or muddy bottoms.
They usually lie motionless on the seabed during the day and frequently come out to forage at dusk.
Meanwhile, the tiger prawn is the largest of all prawns, growing up to 30 centimeters long and weighing about 1.5 kilograms.
However, these two mantis shrimps did not grow to 30 centimeters in size; they looked to be about ten centimeters long and weighed about half a pound each.
Just as Chen Zhiyao put the two large shrimp down, she looked up and saw a super beautiful conch shell right in front of her.
Looking at the large conch shell in her hand, she thought for a while before realizing it was a crown conch.
The crown snail, scientifically known as *Triplophysa tangutica*, is one of the four most famous snails in the world.
Because its shape resembles the helmet of a Tang Dynasty warrior, it is also known as the Tang Dynasty crown snail.
Crown snails are large sea snails, which can grow up to 30 centimeters in length.
Crown snails generally live in shallow sea areas and prefer to inhabit places such as coral reefs, rocks, and beaches.
They are somewhat different from ordinary sea snails. Crown snails do not move all year round and grow by feeding on microorganisms in the water.
The meat of the snail is edible, and its beautiful shell can be used as a handicraft or a pretty decoration.
This snail is perfect in every way, except that it is a Class II protected animal in China.
Chen Zhiyao immediately and carefully put the precious item back in its original place.
Seeing that 10 minutes had already passed, Chen Zhiyao quickly sped up, otherwise the seawater would rise soon.
(My imagination isn't quite there yet, so I hope everyone can help me suggest some island names. If you have any interesting or fun island ideas, please feel free to share them too *^o^*)
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